Optimally, license plates have an overall similarity of styling or appearance that enables rapid recognition of license plates issued by various licensing authorities and that inhibits counterfeiting. At the same time, license plates should provide a distinct, individualized, and unique identifying code or image for each vehicle, state, or driver. To that end, many licensing authorities offer “vanity” license plates. Such plates allow the driver to select an attractive or meaningful design that will be printed on their license plate. The production of such “vanity” license plates results in each state offering numerous different license plate designs to its constituents.
The proliferation of these individualized license plates is significant. For example, the state of Oregon offers seven different license plate design options to standard vehicle drivers: tree, salmon, Crater Lake, cultural trust, amateur radio operator (ham), antique vehicle, and special interest. Also, the state of Oregon offers six types of non-profit plates to standard vehicle drivers: Lions Club, Oregon Masonic Family, Oregon Professional Firefighters, Oregon State Elks, Share the Road, and Support Our Troops plates. Additionally, the state of Oregon offers six types of high education plates to drivers of standard vehicles: Eastern Oregon University, Oregon State University, Portland State University, University of Oregon, University of Portland, and Willamette University. Further, the state of Oregon offers ten veteran and service-related plates to drivers of standard vehicles: Congressional Medal of Honor; Disabled Veteran; Ex-POW; First Marine Division; Gold Star Family; National Guard; Non-Commission Officers Association; Purple Heart; Veterans Recognition; and Vietnam Veterans. This results in a total of 33 different personalized plate options for standard vehicles in a single state. If each of the 50 states and each of the 10 Canadian provinces offer approximately the same number of options for standard vehicles, almost 2000 different design options for license plates are available. This does not even take into account the license plate options for mopeds, motorcycles, campers, trailers, trucks, commercial vehicles, government vehicles, dealer vehicles, and motor homes.
Meanwhile, automated enforcement systems, including, for example, electronic toll systems, red light running systems, speed enforcement systems, and access control systems, are becoming more prevalent. Many embodiments of such systems rely on an accurate reading of a vehicle's license plate, which is often performed by an automated license plate recognition system. However, obtaining an accurate reading of a vehicle's license plate is becoming increasingly difficult due to the wide variety of license plates now on the roads.